Chapter 0266: Squirtle’s Hydro Pump

Inside the restaurant.

"Gengar!" Gengar trotted over, handing the ice cream to Natsume.

Natsume blinked in surprise before smiling and accepting it. "Thanks for the hard work~"

"Gengar~ (≧◇≦)"

The young man and the ghost Pokémon sat side by side on the chairs, licking their ice cream in perfect sync.

"Not bad at all," Natsume remarked, his eyes lighting up.

Even as someone from Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma, he couldn't find much to criticize.

With ice cream this good, the shop owner could probably franchise nationwide…

Natsume didn't dwell on it.

As the competition was about to begin, the group hurried to the port.

The azure sea was already packed with anglers from all over, ready for battle.

Lapras, Starmie, even a fisherman riding a Sharpedo.

"…Can you actually fish while riding a Sharpedo?" Yellow whispered.

"Relax. A true angler never comes back empty-handed."

Natsume coughed. "Look, there's even someone surfing on a Mantine. It's fine!"

Following Natsume's gaze—

Gold had rigged a pool cue as a frame, turning the Mantine into a makeshift parasail.

Yellow nodded, though she didn't quite understand.

With the referee's whistle, the competition began in earnest.

"Woo-hoo!" Gold donned his goggles as his Mantine rode the waves, soaring into the air.

"Tibo, use Whirlpool on the water!"

"Mantine~~!" The Mantine flapped its wings, churning the sea into a raging vortex that blocked several competitors.

"Ref! This cheater's breaking the rules!" Angry shouts erupted from the crowd.

"Just wait till I catch him—he's gonna regret it!"

From the commentary booth, the host yelled, "Gold from Johto has officially pissed off the entire competition!"

"Breaking news! The Tournament Committee has ruled that since Gold didn't directly attack anyone, the match continues!"

"Heh!" Gold grinned, waving cheekily. "Later, suckers!"

Watching the flashy display, Natsume was stunned.

"Isn't this a fishing competition?"

These tricks were more suited to a racing event!

"W-Well, maybe that's just Gold's style…?" Yellow offered weakly.

"Natsume-sensei, all the fish here are scared off. Let's split up."

Natsume nodded, paddling away with Gengar at the bow, leaving the chaos behind.

Thanks to Gold's antics, half the competitors had abandoned fishing to chase him down.

Ironically, the competition had just gotten easier…

"Oh no! Gold has fallen into the water!"

The commentator gasped. "Wait—that was a fake-out?! This isn't a wild battle, dude!"

Guest commentator Kaori of the Cerulean Gym chuckled awkwardly. "Uh… maybe let's focus on the other competitors' scores?"

The commentator cleared his throat. "Currently in first place is Kanto's Yellow, leading by a staggering margin!"

"Oh? Our aerial camera has spotted another contestant with a new catch!"

On-screen, Natsume lazily cast his line.

[Fishing Lv3] meant a high probability of hooking something.

But…

On the deck, a Magikarp flopped energetically.

"That's the tenth one."

Natsume sighed, using the event-provided Poké Ball to catch it.

His score ticked up by +1.

Meanwhile, Yellow had already broken 300 points.

Natsume's haul? Nothing but Magikarp.

"Eleventh." Natsume rested his chin on his hand, dead-eyed.

"Twelfth…"

"Are you kidding me?! Is the entire ocean just Magikarp?! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻"

As Natsume fumed, a passing fisherman reeled in a Shellder.

"Need help, kid?" the man offered kindly.

"N-No thanks…" Natsume muttered, heart thoroughly crushed.

This Fishing skill is a scam!

When the thirteenth Magikarp bit, the system taunted him.

[Chain 12! Proficiency rising!]

[Chain 13! Proficiency rising!]

[Ding! Skill Level Up!]

[Fishing Lv4: As a true angler, you now understand fish habitats and habits. Probability of catching Magikarp greatly reduced. (Magikarp can be killed, but never defeated.)]

"Greatly reduced"?

Natsume skeptically cast his line again.

Within seconds—fourteenth Magikarp.

Natsume: IT DIDN'T CHANGE AT ALL! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

The nearby fisherman stared at Natsume's expert technique—and the pile of Poké Balls on the deck—in awe.

Even if they were just Magikarp… catching this many in half an hour was insane!

"I'm Mizushima, from Alola," the blue-haired, bearded man said warmly. "Mind if I get to know you?"

"Just a passing angler." Natsume waved him off. "Gonna try another spot."

"Wait! Let me get your number! If you're ever in Alola, I'll treat you to a home-cooked meal!" Mizushima called after him.

The breeze carried over the waves.

As the river flowed east, Squirtle gazed at the endless water, a sudden realization dawning.

Natsume brought me here… to master a new Water-type move!

Eyes gleaming, Squirtle fell deep into thought…

By the time Natsume caught his twentieth Magikarp (score: 20, dead last), Brock—despite his bad luck—had somehow surpassed him.

Yellow, still in first, was nearing 500 points.

As for Gold? He'd long forgotten the competition, too busy surfing on Mantine.

Admitting defeat, Natsume set down his rod.

"Togepi doo-ee!" Togepi tugged his sleeve.

"You wanna try?"

Natsume handed the fishing pole over.

"Don't get pulled in."

"Togepi~ ヾ"

With all its might, Togepi yanked the rod—just as the float dipped.

"No way. You actually caught something?!" Natsume helped reel it in.

A hideous, gray fish leaped from the water.

"OH MY ARCEUS!" The host screamed. "Natsume has hooked an incredibly rare Feebas!"

"The first Feebas of the tournament! Could this be his comeback?!"

The crowd erupted.

Hearing the announcement, Yellow smiled.

Of course Natsume-sensei would pull this off.

"Nice one, Togepi!"

Natsume wound up and threw the Poké Ball with perfect form—

A critical capture! The ball flashed white, skipping the usual shakes.

First a Feebas, now a perfect throw?

The audience stared at the screen, stunned.

This guy's luck is unreal!

But just as the ball sealed—

CRACK. Feebas burst free, giving Natsume a disdainful look before diving back into the water.

"What?! A critical capture can fail?!"

Natsume roared: "THAT'S BULLSH—!"

The crowd exchanged glances.

Yes, technically, even critical captures had a failure chance.

But the odds were astronomically low.

"Togepi~" Togepi shrugged helplessly.

What can you do?

Had he caught the Feebas, Natsume might've placed top three.

But luck was a fickle thing.

"Whatever. At least I got the Magikarp."

Natsume rubbed his temples. "Gengar, let's head back."

"Gengar!" Gengar poked the fishing rod, insisting on one last try.

"Oh, what, you're gonna pull up a Gyarados?"

Just as Natsume scoffed—

A towering pillar of water erupted.

A colossal shadow breached the surface—a 15-meter Gyarados, looming like a kaiju.

Natsume barely kept the boat steady, soaked but bewildered.

Why does that Gyarados look… mechanical?

Inside the giant Gyarados.

The Trio panicked.

"Why is the Executive here?!"

"Does he have a secret mission?!"

"Do we self-destruct, meow?!"

As they hesitated, the commentator screamed:

"Natsume has hooked a GIGANTIC GYARADOS!!"

"A NEW RECORD! 1000 POINTS INSTANTLY!!"

Amid the uproar—

Squirtle leaped onto the deck, eyes blazing.

This was the perfect test for its new move.

"Squirtle!"

It inhaled deeply, drawing in water from the surrounding sea.

A swirling aura of power gathered, the very air trembling.

Natsume checked the Pokédex, stunned.

When did you learn this move?!

"Squirtle… Hydro Pump?"

"SQUIRTLE!!"

The world shook.

A deafening roar. Dark clouds swirled.

And then—

BOOOOOOM!!!

Even as a near-miss, the Hydro Pump's sheer force tore through the giant Gyarados.

Wires sparked. Explosions rocked the false Pokémon.

Though they were about to be blasted off again…

At least they hadn't interfered with the Executive's plans.

The Trio soared into the sky as always.

"This… is the best feeling ever~~~!"

"Wobbuffet!"

Ding.

Watching the shooting star, Natsume sighed.

Of course it was them.

"You three built a mecha Gyarados now?!"

He shook his head. "Eh, they'll be fine…"

The chaos settled.

Officer Jenny, blushing slightly, thanked Natsume. "Thanks to you, those Pokémon hunters didn't cause more trouble."

(Technically, the Trio worked for Natsume now—but he didn't rein them in enough.)

Need to lecture them later…

The Tournament Committee representative arrived, relieved.

"Thanks to you, Mr. Natsume, the event could continue!"

He smiled. "Regardless, your score stands. You're this year's Fishing Champion!"

Natsume blinked. "Oh, uh—thanks! "

...

At the awards ceremony, Yellow stood to Natsume's right, grinning.

Brock, arms crossed, took the left.

They'd swept the top spots.

(Gold was still… missing.)

Kaori smiled as she handed Natsume his trophy. "Honored to meet you, Natsume-sensei."

"You know me?"

"My little sister, Misty of Cerulean Gym, speaks highly of you."

Kaori giggled. "Never thought we'd meet like this."

Natsume's instincts tingled.

"She wanted me to battle you… but I'm not much of a fighter." Kaori sighed.

Natsume relaxed. "Oh, good. No need, then."

"How understanding!" Kaori beamed, presenting the prizes.

"The Champion's Mystic Water, your trophy… congratulations!"

Mystic Water, huh?

Natsume mentally noted to save it for Squirtle.

As for the premium fishing gear… useless, given his Magikarp curse.

"One more thing." Kaori held out a fist, smiling mysteriously.

Natsume reached out—and felt cold metal.

[Ding! Quest Updated]

[Badges Collected: (3/8)]

Natsume: ?

"I thought we weren't battling?"

"We're not!" Kaori winked. "So I just gave you the badge."

"Happy?"

Natsume's eye twitched.

Right. Misty's sisters love handing out badges for free.

And they disguised it as a tournament prize?!

This grudge… will not be forgotten!

...

As the sun set, the competition ended.

Natsume called the Trio for a debrief.

"Your only target is Pikachu. Nothing else. Got it?"

Knowing the Executive had bigger plans, the Trio nodded frantically.

"Don't worry, sir! We'll nab that Pikachu for sure!"

Yeah, right.

Still… they had indirectly helped him win.

"Go treat yourselves tonight."

Natsume sighed. "My treat."

The Trio—who'd been surviving on instant noodles after blowing their funds on the robot—wept.

"THANK YOU!!"

With everything settled, Natsume reflected.

The Cerulean Badge was annoying…

But Squirtle's Hydro Pump?

That was just ridiculous.

Who the hell calls that a Hydro Pump?!

Aside from its abysmal accuracy…

It was basically a Hyper Beam in disguise.

"Stick to Water Gun for now."

Natsume sighed. "At least it hits…"

Gold, finally back, grinned. "Almost had it this time!"

You didn't even catch a Magikarp!

Back home, Squirtle accepted its second Mystic Water from Natsume.

It wasn't enough yet… but it was a start.

For trainer's sake… I'll keep training!

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